Friday, July 28, 2006

More insurance problems. First, his walker was finally approved. It only took since April 3, when they sent the letter of MEDICAL NECESSITY, signed by the chairman of the dept. of orthopedics. Guess that doesn't mean much to them at the insurance company, that Jordan would not be walking right now if it weren't for the old, beat-up walker we borrowed from our PT. This walker is about $300. Does $300 mean a THING to a big insurance company?

Now the saga with getting the new orthotics approved is just too much to go into. The orthotics place tells me to call the insurance company. The ins. co. tells me to call the doctor. The dr's office tells me to call the ins. co. AND the orthotics place. Do you see the circle of this????? It is INFURIATING. This is the United States of America. We can't do better than this????????????????

The other really stupid thing about it is that if the ins. co. does not pay for these braces or keeps delaying paying for them, Jordan's feet might revert to how they were, and then the insurance co. will have to pay for another SURGERY at tens of thousands of dollars rather than the $2,000 the braces will cost!!!!!!! Does this make any sense? Do we have any preventative medicine in this country????????????

I am so disgusted. It is hard enough when your child even NEEDS to wear braces and use a walker. To have to go through all of this is disgusting. There is never any consideration for how a parent might FEEL having to do all this bullshit while also having to do the normal parenting things plus the doctor's visits. It's all a fight, a never-ending battle. And the people I get to talk to are the low-paid insurance processors, who don't have any power in this either. Yet they are the people I yell and fight with. I shouted, "Fuck you!" to one of them last week and hung up on her. They ask me, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" at the end of the conversation, and I usually say, "You could STILL help me with the information I need, which you didn't do."

Also, one of these insurance people told me that orthotics are only covered for diabetics. I was like, "Do you know what orthotics ARE? You're saying if a kid has spina bifida and can't walk without braces, Keystone won't allow him to walk???" Soooooooooo stupid. After "researching" this issue, she came back on the phone and said that braces can be approved for other conditions if the doctor authorizes them. Oh, no, I'm just thinking to myself, "Hm, wouldn't it be nice if Jordan had some nice ORTHOTICS?" I didn't get a recommendation from a DOCTOR.

About This Blog

The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences raising a child who has some orthopedic impairments. I will share reflections on our journey, from the everyday annoyances with the "system" to the achievements of my wonderful little boy to the life-changing thoughts and feelings he brings to my life.

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THE JORDAN RIVER

The significance of the Jordan River begins when Jacob falls asleep beside it and has the dream of the ladder that goes to heaven. Angels descend and ascend while he is dreaming, as though to say that the power of God, the revelation of God was moving into those waters, making the River Jordan a special place of connection with God. It was as though the river provided the sustenance and the strength that God would have for God’s people. And all through history the Jordan River would water the crops, would provide a boundary for the Kingdom of God, a boundary of safety. It is almost as though it is the vein of God’s power that the people of God could tap....The people passed through the waters of the Jordan to arrive at the Promised Land, a land that was not alienated from God, not far away from God, but a land that was close to God and God’s love. And then there was the occasion of Jesus’ baptism. Jesus walked into the river Jordan. The heavens opened, and the Spirit of God poured into our Lord; and from that moment on, our Lord gave his ministry in this world, healing people, caring for people, providing a willingness to die for people. Likewise, if you would like to have the power of God move into your heart, then you walk into the waters of Jordan, because that is when the heavens open and the power of the Spirit of God moves inside you. From "The Waters of Jordan" by Rev. Samuel G. Alexander